Friday, January 25, 2013

Beer Grain Bread

Oven ready
Beer Grain Bread

My husband brews beer.  When the brewing is done, there are a bunch of spent grains.  Here is a recipe I made using the spent grains.  My chickens will be missing out on 3 cups of spent grain this round.

The bread is heavy and grainy, but it is absolutely delicious!  The spent grains still have nutrients and flavor.  The grains can also be frozen for future use.

I had very good luck with this batch:  good flavor and good texture.

Ingredients:

3 cups spent grain (wet, straight from the bash tun)
1 1/4 cups warm water
1/4 cups sugar
4-5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 packet dry active yeast

Instruction:

Mix yeast, water and sugar in a bowl to activate yeast: Allow 30 minutes for yeast to activate.

Add Yeast starter, salt, egg, spent grain and milk in a bowl and slowly add flour (I started with 2 cups whole wheat then kept adding unbleached flour until it was the right consistency.  If the grains are wet, more flour needed).

Knead the dough until it is smooth and no longer sticky.

Place dough in a large greased bowl and cover it with a towel.  Let rise to double in size:  takes about 1-1 1/2 hours.  Punch the dough down.

Split your dough into the desired amount of loaves (I made two) you want and shape on a cookie sheet.

Cover with a towel and let the loaves rise again:  another 1/2 hour.

Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes.  Bread should be a nice brown and a knife comes out clean after being inserted into the center.

Baked!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Pottery Projects

Cat plaque, spoon rest, bowl, box and coil spoon rest

I am taking a clay class through Rising Sun Gallery and Art Studio in Fallon, NV
Rising Sun Gallery & Art Studio

Here are some projects in the greenware stage:

Greenware (noun) is the term given to clay objects when they have been shaped but have not not yet been bisque fired, which converts them from clay to ceramic. Greenware may be in any of the stages of drying: wet, damp, soft leather-hard, leather-hard, stiff leather-hard, dry, and bone dry.

These will dry and then be fired in a kiln, then painted and fired again.  The 1 1/2 hours of class flies by!  These are projects done at home.  I am really enjoying it!

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Clay Class


A couple of pots I am working on.  I am taking a clay class through our local art gallery:

Rising Sun Gallery and Art Studio  in Fallon, NV.

The art gallery is trying to raise funds to help provide the community with art classes for all ages.  Here is the link to help out.  Every little bit helps!

Fund Raiser